Thoughts on cycling and cycling performance

July 15, 2012

Tour de France Stage 14 - Results

Tour de France Stage 14 - Limoux to Foix

Stage 14 of the 2012 Tour de France from Limoux to Foix, a journey of 191 km or 118 miles that took riders over two (2) category one Pyrennes climbs, was almost predictable. A long breakaway group that incuded Luis Leon Sanchez, Philip Gilbert, Peter Sagan and others got away early, and the peloton let them go. But when Sanchez found himself with a small group that included Sagan with 10K to go, he waited until Sagan went for a snack before he laid down the heat. A top time trialist, Sanchez was able to stay clear and solo for victory, his fourth stage win in his last four Tour participations.

Meanwhile, back in the peloton, trouble was brewing. Apparently, someone was none-too-happy that the never before featured Mur de Péguère was being featured in the 2012 Tour de France. They took their revenge by throwing tacks on road at the top of the climb, ensnaring Cadel Evans and others. Evans lost of 90 seconds trying to get a wheel replacement, when his white jersey teammate Teejay van Garderen ignored his plea for help. Fortunately, the Yellow Jersey, himself "tacked" and flatted on the descent from the Mur, called a truce and urged his fellow Tour de France contenders to cease hostilities while Cadel got back on the group. Apparently, however, Pierre Rolland didn't get the memo, and he pressed on. At the point that his escape was encroaching upon Van Den Broeck's and Nibali's placing, however, Liquigas and Lotto pressed on, leaving Cadel and his boys to chase harder than expected.

Despite all the excitement and confusion, there were no changes of substance in the overall results.